Ebola Threat Looms as Chinese-Operated River Boat Quarantined in DR Congo

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:51:33 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Five people died on a Chinese-operated ferry as Ebola screening ensues on a 255‑person vessel intercepted upstream of Kinshasa.

A Chinese‑operated ferry, the Yingfeng 2, was stopped on the Congo River after five deaths of passengers from fever and diarrhoea. Health authorities and WHO teams set up a mobile laboratory to test all 255 crew and passengers as a precaution. No cases have yet tested positive and officials expect none after the 21‑day incubation window. The boat left Kisangani two weeks earlier and travelled more than 1,700 km downstream. The outbreak is the 17th Bundibugyo‑strain episode in the country, which now reports almost 4,000 confirmed cases and 1,800 deaths.

A Chinese‑operated ferry, the Yingfeng 2, was stopped on the Congo River after five passengers died of fever and diarrhoea. The vessel, carrying 255 people, was intercepted about 65 km upstream of Kinshasa and is currently under quarantine.

Health Minister Roger Kamba said that the official screening is a precautionary measure, following the death of a passenger who left at a previous port and was then treated in hospital. A further two adults, a three‑year‑old child and a newborn have also died.

Teams from the ministry and the World Health Organization have boarded the boat and set up a mobile laboratory to test all individuals. So far, no one has tested positive and officials expect none to be positive after the 21‑day incubation period.

The Yingfeng 2 began its voyage from Kisangani, the country’s third largest city, about two weeks ago and travelled more than 1,700 km downstream. Security services have kept the craft offshore in line with WHO quarantine standards to prevent any potential spread into the capital.

This outbreak marks the 17th Bundibugyo‑strain episode in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The rare strain has no specific drug treatment or vaccine, though trials for a vaccine are underway in the United Kingdom. Official statistics report 3,973 confirmed cases and 1,801 deaths, making it the second‑deadliest Ebola outbreak on record. More than 17,000 people are now under monitoring, 674 patients are in isolation or treatment, and 776 have recovered.